Game Thread (4/01/2023): Brewers (Woodruff) vs. Cubs (Steele) - 1:20 PM

[Brewcrew82]

Figured I'd get the conversation started with a little over an hour until the scheduled game time. Feel free to pin or replace mods. 

We'll see if the game starts on time as the weather report says it's currently raining in CHI. Game will almost certainly be played though, as the precipitation chance is pretty much zero after 2:00. 

Wiemer making his debut in CF and batting 9th. A great day to get the first win of the season!

[MVP2110]

Was hoping to see Wiemer, Mitchell, and Turang all in there, oh well maybe tomorrow. 

Interesting they are giving a start to Rowdy vs a lefty, something they rarely did last season. 

Expected to be very cold today so guessing runs will be at a premium again, hopefully Woodruff handles it ok considering his medicals

[BruisedCrew]

It probably would be better for the Brewers if the game is postponed.

If the weather is anything like it is here, and if Woodruff can’t handle the cold, any better than he did last year, the odds are not in the Brewers favor.

[KeithStone53151]

Lineups like this make it so clear to me that counsell is a loser manager. Apparently all our top prospects are merely platoon bats. Don't even give them a chance to face same handed pitching. Hope none of you are too excited about chourio, he's only gonna play against lh pitching.....

[BruisedCrew]

So, Urias is out for 6-8 weeks. 

These rookies are going to have to be good for the Brewers to finish .500, much less be playoff contenders. 

[Brewcrew82]

4 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

So, Urias is out for 6-8 weeks. 

These rookies are going to have to be good for the Brewers to finish .500, much less be playoff contenders. 

Lol. I wouldn't say a 6-8 week injury to Urias is something that would doom our playoff chances, particularly 1 GAME into the season, unless you adopt the most pessimistic perspective....Urias is good, but not irreplacable like a Burnes, Woodruff, Williams, etc. are.

[brewerfan82]

22 minutes ago, KeithStone53151 said:

Lineups like this make it so clear to me that counsell is a loser manager. Apparently all our top prospects are merely platoon bats. Don't even give them a chance to face same handed pitching. Hope none of you are too excited about chourio, he's only gonna play against lh pitching.....

I don't know about that. I think Counsell likes to get everyone into action early in the season (and/or when they're called up). Might want to hold off more than the 2nd game to decide if there's a pattern. Regardless, I like that he doesn't let guys sit on the bench too long without getting into a game, gotta both keep everyone ready to play and give guys rest throughout the long season.

[HarryDoyle]

Steele didn't want any part of Brosseau.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Figured I'd get the conversation started with a little over an hour until the scheduled game time. Feel free to pin or replace mods. 

We'll see if the game starts on time as the weather report says it's currently raining in CHI. Game will almost certainly be played though, as the precipitation chance is pretty much zero after 2:00. 

Wiemer making his debut in CF and batting 9th. A great day to get the first win of the season!

Thanks so much for doing this. I completely spaced on game time today and just walked in from an absolutely brutal snow-blowing of my driveway. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

And I walk in just in time to see Contreras GIDP. 

[Brewcrew82]

I see it’s going to be like this. Hard hit balls for outs. Elevate that a bit Contreras.

[adambr2]

5 minutes ago, HarryDoyle said:

Steele didn't want any part of Brosseau.

Adames could have had one too, swung at Ball 4 right before the single that could have gotten us on the board with nobody out. Instead, Contreras isn't rewarded for a rocket and GIDP ends the inning. 

So many little things we do wrong to avoid scoring. 

[BruisedCrew]

15 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Lol. I wouldn't say a 6-8 week injury to Urias is something that would doom our playoff chances, particularly 1 GAME into the season, unless you adopt the most pessimistic perspective....Urias is good, but not irreplacable like a Burnes, Woodruff, Williams, etc. are.

LOL, it depends on what you think their playoff chances are in the first place. 

15 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

 

[Brewcrew82]

Willy Adames Gold Glove szn. 

[Brewcrew82]

3 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

LOL, it depends on what you think their playoff chances are in the first place. 

 

About 50-60% per most sites which actually handicap and model this sort of stuff…

[Brewcrew82]

Good inning Woody. Looks like Swanson is going to replace Contreras in torturing us…

[HarryDoyle]

Hopefully Contreres's concern for the umpire translates to fortuitous calls.

[folly412]

Talent

[adambr2]

First swing double for Wiemer!

[BruisedCrew]

25 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

About 50-60% per most sites which actually handicap and model this sort of stuff…

In other words, it isn’t that pessimistic to think that the rookies (who are going to get even more playing time than expected) are going to have to be good for the Brewers to make the playoffs. 
 

The projections I’ve seen have the Brewers at about 85 or 86 wins. My expectation is a little lower than that. 

[markedman5]

Eventually we have to score a run right?

[Brewcrew82]

4 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

In other words, it isn’t that pessimistic to think that the rookies (who are going to get even more playing time than expected) are going to have to be good for the Brewers to make the playoffs. 

But that's not what you said. is it? You said, "struggle to finish above .500", let alone be playoff CONTENDERS as a result of Urias being out for 6-8 weeks. If you had just said the above, I would have agreed with you...

[adambr2]

50-60% is about right, I think. The Brewers could absolutely make the playoffs.

However, they could be perilously close to a major rebuild if things don't go well. If you're not really in the race at the break, you almost have to shop Burnes and Woodruff, right?

[adambr2]

Woodruff looking solid today. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

6 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

In other words, it isn’t that pessimistic to think that the rookies (who are going to get even more playing time than expected) are going to have to be good for the Brewers to make the playoffs. 
 

The projections I’ve seen have the Brewers at about 85 or 86 wins. My expectation is a little lower than that. 

It’s reasonable to think the Brewers will need rookie contributions to make the postseason. The upside here is that the Brewers have *so many* rookies available to them this season that isn’t an insurmountable task. When you have five quality options, the chances of a couple of them sticking raises considerably.